Kobe Suffers Possible Career-Ending Injury, Vents On Facebook

Basketball fans held their collective breath Friday night, hoping for the best. Surely, Kobe Bryant would get up, dust off his jersey, and keep on putting a group of under-achieving prima donnas and washed-up stars on his ever-reliable shoulders. Surely, Kobe would act like Kobe. Surely, he would dip into his seemingly bottomless bag of motivation and will himself off the floor.

To the detriment of the NBA, that wasn’t the case. One of the league’s brightest stars – and angriest alpha males – has a probable torn Achilles. The injury occurred during Friday night’s must-win against the Warriors, mid-way through the fourth quarter, on a relatively routine drive to the basket.

The Lakers would go on to avenge Kobe’s injury, at least for the time being. But a playoff series is as questionable as ever: Los Angeles’ last games of the season are against San Antonio and Houston, two dangerous playoff teams who are still trying to win preferential seeding. In a lengthy, emotional message posted on his Facebook, Bryant declared “I have faith in my teammates. They will come thru [sic].”

Let’s just say that the Laker do sneak in, that their veterans step up in the Black Mamba’s absence. The two hypothetical playoff scenarios – against the Spurs or against the Thunder – have devolved from “must-watch” to “okay, seeing the Lakers get blown out by double-digits was funny the first two times, but this is getting depressing.”

Especially when you consider the point guard match-ups: either Russell Westbrook or Tony Parker will fricassee Steve Nash without Kobe’s still-solid perimeter D. And let’s be honest: nobody wants to see Nash get done like that. Needless to say, what has been a Hollywood comedy all season (if you aren’t a Lakers fan, of course) just became much more somber.

“This is such BS! All the training and sacrifice just flew out the window with one step that I’ve done millions of times! The frustration is unbearable. The anger is rage. Why the hell did this happen ?!? Makes no damn sense. Now I’m supposed to come back from this and be the same player Or better at 35?!? How in the world am I supposed to do that??

“I have NO CLUE. Do I have the consistent will to overcome this thing? Maybe I should break out the rocking chair and reminisce on the career that
was. Maybe this is how my book
ends. Maybe Father Time has defeated me…Then again maybe not! It’s 3:30am, my foot feels like dead weight, my head is spinning from the pain meds and I’m wide awake. Forgive my Venting but what’s the purpose of social media if I won’t bring it to you Real No Image?? Feels good to vent, let it out. To feel as if THIS is the WORST thing EVER! Because After ALL the venting, a real perspective sets in. There are far greater issues/challenges in the world then a torn achilles. Stop feeling sorry for yourself, find the silver lining and get to work with the same belief, same drive and same conviction as ever.

“One day, the beginning of a new career journey will commence. Today is NOT that day.
“If you see me in a fight with a bear, prey for the bear”. Ive always loved that quote. Thats “mamba mentality” we don’t quit, we don’t cower, we don’t run. We endure and conquer.

“I know it’s a long post but I’m Facebook Venting LOL. Maybe now I can actually get some sleep and be excited for surgery tomorrow. First step of a new challenge.
Guess I will be Coach Vino the rest of this season. I have faith in my teammates. They will come thru.

Thank you for all your prayers and support. Much Love Always.
Mamba Out”

Sad to to read this first thing in the am. It was inevitable I guess, but this is a testament to the man’s toughness, he’s been banged up throughout the season with scare after scare and just took a few numbing injections to his joints and went out and balled out.

I consider myself one of those Kobe haters I dislike the man for all of the reasons that have been documented here and elsewhere but I respect the hell out of the man and it hurt to see him go down after everything that has gone on. It sucks as a basketball fan to see this happen on the eve of the playoffs. I expect him to resume his nightly ass kickings as soon as he’s right physically.

Man, regardless where you put him, he’s one of the 10 best basketball players ever. I’ve said that before. I just don’t see him walking away like this. Dude is almost psychotic in a sense of how competitive he is.

Hell, I’m still trying to process it. This takes a huge chunk of excitement out of the game. Irreplaceable one, too.

Kobe’s rested 14 minutes out of the last 200 or so. He’s averaged 47.5 minutes this month. He just got run down and D’Antoni had to have rested him more. Kobe fought and is a warrior but this could have all been avoided.

I saw a stat on ESPN that said his average minutes-per-game for the month of April was the highest average he’s ever logged for a single month. Granted it’s a smaller sample size because April’s only half-over, but still.

and lebron has got to have the easiest path to a ship ever. rose. rondo. granger. out knicks beat up. garnett and ty lawsonare banged up, tony parker and kobe, gallinari out…clippers beat up just really one team to beat and durant is just too skinny

Actually this might be the best thing to happen to Kobe this season. Instead of suffering the embarrassment of getting knocked out in the 1st round or not making the playoffs, he goes out like a warrior, who tried his hardest to carry his team to the post season. No one will blame him now for this dissapointing laker season. He’s a hero now. His Legacy isn’t harmed

This one hurts man smh. Title hopes diminished a while ago but with all that’s happened (Dr. Buss’ death, Kobe’s injury, etc….) I just hope my Lakers can grab that 8th seed to accomplish at least one positive aspect to build on from this awkward and frustrating season.

lol dude said he cried bwahaha. Come on man get real. Lakers werent going to win the championship this year or the next one. If anything you should be happy, given his drive, he will just work to come back even stronger and maybe you can get another year out of him. He has had a great storied career, hes done his work already. Unlike other fans, you saw your favorite player still perform at a high level in the end (maybe). Think all the Barkley, Shaq, TMac, AI and etc fans who saw their players wither away in their last years, you got it easy. Damn! Get off yo ass and go fuck some to feel better.